The Violence Against Women Act Is Closer to Reality

The Senate finally did something right this week: They passed a slightly revised version of the Violence Against Women Act they let expire in early January.

The Act—championed in 1994 by then-Sen. Joe Biden—is designed to give greater protections to female domestic violence victims. It was reaffirmed twice, so why the delay this time? The new version added protections for same-sex partners, undocumented immigrants, and Native Americans, leading some politicians to vote against it in a tumultuous election year.

There is no excuse to hold this up—every day it's not in effect is another day women are at risk. We think VP Biden said it best:

"Delay isn't an option when three women are still killed by their husbands or boyfriends every day. Delay isn't an option when countless women still live in fear of abuse, and when one in five have been victims of rape."